Hassle-Free Hotwire: Difference between revisions

[[File:800px-CarWires.jpg|framethumb|350px|This was supposed to be easy!!!]]

{{quote|'''Stewie:''' Quick! Hotwire the car!<br />

{{quote| "To know how to hot-wire a vehicle, it is important to understand how a vehicle's electrical system works. Instead of using a multimeter or test light, it is often easier to look up the information required. Remote start units will by definition need access to the same wires (and others besides), and there are internet databases with listings of wire colors and locations. Hotwiring generally involves connecting the two wires which complete the circuit when the key is in the on position (turns on the fuel pump and other necessary components), then, touching the wire that connects to the starter.}}

{{quote| "Older vehicles, namely ones from pre 1986, which have a carbureted engine and a single ignition coil and distributor, can be hotwired from the engine bay.}}

{{quote| "Those who lack the basic mechanical skills and knowledge of automotive electrical systems sometimes use a brute-force method to bypass the ignition lock, smashing the key mechanism to reveal the rotation switch, which is operated by the key's tumbler. (end)}}

{{quote| "Hotwiring is portrayed unrealistically in most fictional settings. For starters, it is very easy to ruin the car by ripping at the lock pin off the mounting structure (the most popular way to hotwire in TV land) will ruin the steering lock, rendering driving impossible. There is also severe risk of electrocution from this method. The most popular way by car thieves involves a screw driver and a cordless drill (The drill breaks the lock pins without twisting the lock off the mount and the Screwdriver is used in place of a key afterwards) and takes around 2 to 10 minutes depending on skill (not conducive to using a random car to make a quick exit). Finally, not all cars have gaping security systems, and in fact, many cars made after 2005 (the most popular in modern [[Product Placement]] shows) will have computer chips that will disable the ignition mechanisms if the lock is destroyed, effectively ruining a get away."}}

* [[The Bourne Series|Bourne]] hotwires a car really really fast in the trilogy. He's hurt, people are chasing him, and he still does it in less than ten seconds.

{{quote| '''McClane:''' You know how to hot-wire this thing?<br />

'''Zeus:''' Of course I can, I'm an electrician. Only problem is...<br />

[Zeus starts the ignition with his pliers]<br />

** Not only is an older car, it's implied that Giles, being a [[Former Teen Rebel]], has a ''lot'' of experience hotwiring cars. He even says that it's ''"Like riding a bloody bicycle"'' <ref> an old saying meaning it's something that once learned, you never forget how.</ref>

* Averted in most of the ''[[Grand Theft Auto]]'' games because the protagonist never actually hotwires anything. Except for the fourth installment, where the trope is played straight, as the player can see the protagonist duck under the dashboard to start the engine.

** The DS Chinatown Wars game requires work on the touch screen to hotwire a car. Still, the trope is played straight.

* Also, in the latest [[Alone in Thethe Dark]] game, Edward can get in to any car around Central Park, pull a few wires out and there's a little minigame for you to get the right pair together. Can be slightly difficult when you've got a few enemies bearing down on you though.